Fabric seams



April 2, 1957 F. L wALLlNG FABRIC SEAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fled Oct. 30, 1953 Franc/'s Lawrence Wal/ing ATTORNEY April 2, 1957 F. wALLlNG FABRIC SEAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FilLed Oct 50. V1953 INVENToR. Francis Lawrence Wa/l ATTORNEY United StatesPatent FABRIC sEAMs Francis Lawrence Walling, Bergenlield, N. .l., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Ehzabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 30, 1953, Serial No. 389,187

1 Claim. (Cl. 112-269) This invention relates to a fabric seam, and more particularly to a compound overedge chain-stitch seam adapted to be employed for overedge binding of a fabric workpiece.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an edge-binding seam which will effectively bind the edge of a fabric workpiece with a minimum of thread and which, at the same time, will present a pleasing appearance.

The features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of several preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l represents a perspective view in a diagrammatic manner of a chain-stitch seam embodying the present invention, with the seam being illustrated as formed in a phantom workpiece shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is like Fig. l showing a second form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is like Fig. 1 illustrating a third form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is like Fig. l illustrating a fourth form of the present invention.

Referring more specifically to Fig. l of the drawings, one form of improved seam is shown as comprising a pair of upper or needle threads and 11 formed as a pair of laterally spaced parallel rows of fabricpenetrating loops 12 and 13 projecting at spaced intervals through a workpiece generally designated by the numeral 14, and an overedge or looper thread looped about each of the loops 13 of the thread 11 at the upper side of the workpiece 14 and through each of the loops 12 and 13 of both of the upper threads 10 and 11 at the underside of the workpiece 14.

The seam disclosed in Fig. 2 is like that shown in Fig. 1 in that it comprises a pair of upper needle threads 10 and 11 formed as a pair of laterally spaced parallel rows of fabric-penetrating loops 12 and 13 projecting through a workpiece 16 at spaced intervals. However, the seam in Fig. 2, diifers from that shown in Fig. l in that in the former an overedge thread 17 is looped about each of the loops 12 and 13 of the upper threads 10 and 11 at the upper side of the workpiece and through each of the loops 12 and 13 of both of the upper threads 1li and 11 at the underside of the workpiece.

One manner of preparing the seams disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 would be by the use of a so-called overedge sewing machine employing two threaded needles, one threaded looper and one spreader. In preparing the seam disclosed in Fig. l on such a machine, the machine would have one needle threaded with the thread designated by the numeral 10, the remaining needle threaded with the thread designated by the numeral 11, and the looper threaded with the thread designated by the numetal 15. The machine would have its overedge ,spreader timed so that the looper thread 15 would be Y2,787,233 4 Patented Apr. 2, 1957 ICC ment would have to be retimed in a manner such that.

the looper thread 15 would be interlocked at the top as well as at the bottom of the work with both of the needle threads 10 and 11 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The seam disclosed in Fig. 3 comprises a pair of upper or needle threads 18 and 19 formed as a pair of laterally spaced parallel rows of fabric-penetrating loops 20 and 21 which project through a workpiece 22 at spaced intervals with each loop 20 and 21 of each of the threads 18 and 19 disposed as an overedge thread as at 23 and 24 about the edge of the workpiece 22 so as to project over the top of the workpiece and encircle the upper portion of a respective one of the loops 21 at the upper portion of the workpiece.

The seam disclosed in Fig. 4 is similar to that disclosed in Fig. 3 in that it comprises a pair of upper or needle threads 18 and 19 formed as a pair of laterally spaced parallel rows of fabric-penetrating loops 20 and 21 projecting through a workpiece 25 at spaced intervals. However, in the seam shown in Fig. 4 the loops 20 and 21 of the threads 18 and 19 are disposed as overedge threads 23 and 24 about the edge of the workpiece 2S and extend to the top of the workpiece and encircle the upper portion of a respective one of the loops 20 and 21 of each of the threads 18 and 19 at the upper side of the workpiece.

It will be understood from the above that the seams disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 each illustrates a two-thread overedge seam which may be made with an overedge sewing machine provided with two threaded needles and two spreader elements. In preparing, for example, the seam disclosed in Fig. 3, the timing of the upper or overedge spreader is adjusted so that the under loops 20 and 21 of the needle threads 18 and 19 may be interlocked at the top of the work with the thread 19 of the right hand needle only so as to encircle the upper portions of the loops 21, while in the seam disclosed in Fig. 4 the overedge looper may be timed so that the lower portions of loops 20 and 21 of each of the two needle threads 18 and 19 may be interlocked at the top of the work with the upper portion of each of the loops 20 and 21.

From the above, it is to be understood that each of the seams disclosed in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, comprises a component seam in the form of an upper thread 10 or 18 disposed in a workpiece with a line of fabricpenetrating loops 12 or 29 projecting through the workpiece at spaced intervals, a component overedge seam including a line of fabric-penetrating thread loops 13 or 21 projecting through the workpiece at spaced intervals, and a series of overedge thread loops 15, or 17, or 23 and 24 disposed about the edge of the workpiece with each of the loops 12 or 20 of the first mentioned component seam directly encircling one of the threads 15, 17 or 19 of the component overedge seam.

Thus, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention provides an edge-binding seam which will effectively bind the edge of the fabric workpiece with a minimum of thread and which, at the same time, will present a pleasing appearance.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim herein is:

A compound chain-stitch seam comprising a pair of upper threads formed as a pair of laterally spaced parallel rows of fabric-penetrating loops projecting through a workpiece at spaced intervals, and an overedge thread looped about each of the loops of one of said upper 3 4 threads at the upper side of the workpiece and through 2,135,779 Zyotti et al Nov. 8, 1938 each of the loops of both of said upper threads at the 2,248,907 Lutz July 8, 1941 underside of the workpiece. 2,448,495 Muecke Aug. 31, 1948 2,595,152 Lutz Apr. 29, 1952 References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNLTED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 583,401 vMuther May 25, 1897 820,529 Germany NOV. 12, 1951 1,934,328 Rubel Nov. 7, 1933 

